Summary
Applications under this job opportunity announcement will be considered under external competitive procedures only.
This job is open to
The public
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.
Veterans
Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces or a spouse, widow, widower or parent of a veteran, who may be eligible for derived preference
Military spouses
Military spouses of active duty service members or whose spouse is 100 percent disabled or died on active duty.
Individuals with disabilities
Individuals who are eligible under Schedule A.
Clarification from the agency
All qualified United States citizens.
Duties
This job opportunity is located in the Geography Branch, National Processing Center (NPC), Jeffersonville, IN. This position performs duties related to geographic coding required for enumeration, evaluation, and publication for censuses and surveys.
The individual selected for this position will:
- Perform a variety of fundamental clerical tasks in support of branch operations such as coding, sorting, matching, labeling, verifying, reviewing, etc.
- Perform various clerical functions such as coding, matching, verifying and review.
- Perform clerical activities in support of map production and scans geographic products.
- Participate in package assembly for various survey mailouts and miscellaneous survey-related projects.
Tour of Duty: Hours will be between 7:00am - 4:30pm Monday through Friday. Alternate Work Schedule is available. Alternate Work Schedule is an 80-hour biweekly basic work requirement that is scheduled in less than 10 days; i.e., eight 9-hour days/nights, one 8-hour day/night, and one day off.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
Requirements
Conditions of employment
You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Candidates must clear the fingerprint process and initiate the required background investigation prior to final selection.
A one-year probationary period will be required.
Qualifications
General Experience: You qualify at the Grade 04 level if you possess one year of general experience that equipped you with the skills needed to perform the job duties. General experience is defined as progressively responsible clerical, office, or other work that indicates the ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position to be filled. In addition to office and clerical work, other examples may include cashier and customer service or trade positions where completing paperwork is a regular and recurring part of the job.
Education Substitution: Successful completion of two full years of study above the high school level in an accredited college, university or business, secretarial or technical school may be substituted for the required general experience. Equivalent combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet the required experience qualifications.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations, (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Education
Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course-by-course listing along with your application. Failure to provide such documentation when requested will result in lost consideration. For further information on the evaluation of foreign education, refer to the U.S. Department of Education's web site at Academic and Professional Mobility | International Affairs Office (ed.gov).
Additional information
The following links provide information on various hiring authorities that do not fall under competitive examining procedures; they may enable you to apply through merit assignment procedures, or be eligible for a non-competitive appointment.
Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Special Hiring Authorities
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) candidates will be eligible for selection priority if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position by attaining a rating of at least 85 out of 100. Information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management's Career Transition Resources website at: USAJOBS Help Center | Unique Hiring PathsUSAJOBS Help Center | Unique Hiring Paths
CTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents:
- A copy of your Reduction In Force (RIF) separation notice; notice of proposed removal for declining a directed geographic relocation outside of the local commuting area; a Certificate of Expected Separation (CES); or certification that you are in a surplus organization or occupation (this could be a position abolishment letter, a notice of eligibility for discontinued service retirement, or similar notice).
- A copy of your latest SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action", - noting current position, grade/band level, and duty location;
- A copy of your last performance appraisal including rating; and
- Any documentation from your bureau/operating unit that shows your current promotion potential.
ICTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents:
- A copy of your Reduction In Force (RIF) separation notice; notice of proposed removal for declining a directed geographic relocation outside of the local commuting area; notice of disability annuity termination; certification from your former agency that it cannot place you after your recovery from a work-related compensable injury; or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement.
- A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action", documenting your RIF separation, noting your position, grade/band level, and duty location, and/or Agency certification of inability to place you through RPL, etc.;
- A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and
- Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.
The Department of Commerce provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, notify the Human Resources Branch. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis. TTY users can contact the Human Resources Branch via the Federal Relay Service, 1-812-218-3610.
The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, age, membership in an employee organization, or any other non-merit factor.
Employees who receive a buyout and subsequently return to positions in a Federal agency within 5 years after the date of separation, on which the payment is based, whether by reemployment or contracts for personal service, are generally obligated to repay the full amount of the buyout to the agency that paid it before the individual's first day of reemployment.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
We will review your resume, optional cover letter, supporting documentation, and dates of employment (mm/dd/yyyy) on the resume to determine if you meet the qualifications for the position. If you meet the qualifications stated in the job opportunity announcement, we will compare your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation to your responses on the scored occupational questionnaire (True/False, Yes/No, Multiple Choice questions) that you completed as part of the application and place you in one of three pre-defined categories. These categories are "gold", "silver", and "bronze". Your resume and/or optional cover letter must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire or your score will be lowered. The best-qualified candidates will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview.
How applicants will be evaluated for preference eligibility: Within each category, those entitled to veterans' preference will be listed at the top of the pre-defined category for which they are placed. Preference eligibles with a service-connected disability of 10% or more will be listed at the top of the highest quality category (gold).
The scored occupational questionnaire will evaluate the applicant on the following competencies; do not provide a separate written response:
Adaptability
Eye-hand coordination
Reading
Required Documents
The documents you are required to submit vary based on the authority you are using to apply. Your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.
Your application package should include the following documents:
- Resume: Your resume must not exceed two (2) pages. If your resume exceeds the two-page limit, you will be deemed disqualified and removed from consideration. Your resume must include your educational and relevant work experience for the position for which you are applying to include the title and dates (mm/yy) of employment along with the number of hours worked per week. If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete, and you will not receive consideration for this position. The resume must not be more than 5MB and should be saved and uploaded as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text.
Additional guidance on writing a federal resume can be found at: USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job? The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started.
- Veterans' Preference Documentation: Please indicate on your resume the type of veterans' preference you are claiming and provide the appropriate supporting documentation (DD-214 stating disposition of discharge or character of service, VA letter, SF-15, etc.) to validate your claim. For more information regarding eligibility requirements, please go to: Veteran's Resource Page.
- Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) documentation, if applicable:
- CTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents:
- A copy of your RIF separation notice; notice of proposed removal for declining a directed geographic relocation outside of the local commuting area; a Certificate of Expected Separation (CES); or certification that you are in a surplus organization or occupation (this could be a position abolishment letter, a notice of eligibility for discontinued service retirement, or similar notice).
- A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action" noting current position, grade/band level, and duty location;
- A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and
- Any documentation from your bureau/operating unit that shows your current promotion potential.
- ICTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents:
- A copy of your RIF separation notice; notice of proposed removal for declining a directed geographic relocation outside of the local commuting area; notice of disability annuity termination; certification from your former agency that it cannot place you after your recovery from a work-related compensable injury; or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement.
- A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action", documenting your RIF separation, noting your position, grade/band level, and duty location, and/or Agency certification of inability to place you through RPL, etc.;
- A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and
- Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.
- Education Documentation: If this position requires proof of higher education, or you are substituting education for experience, you must submit an unofficial transcript or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. This also applies to Census Bureau employees. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. Please refer to OPM's Qualification Policy for more information.
You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How to Apply
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 03/18/2026to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
- Click the Apply Online button.
- Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
- Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
Effective September 27, 2025, federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in accordance with the Merit Hiring Plan. If you have not already done so, please update your resume under your profile before applying for any federal job. For additional details, visit click the following link.
To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply online; however, if you are unable to apply online, please email the agency contact.
To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click on https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12901572Next steps
You will be notified of your application status through USAJOBS at four points during the hiring process, as applicable. You can check the status of your application by accessing the USAJOBS website at http://usajobs.gov/ and clicking on "Applications." The status will be visible next to the corresponding position. The four points of notification are:
- Application Received or Application Incomplete;
- Minimum Qualification Requirement Met or Minimum Qualification Requirement Not Met;
- Eligible (Application Referred to the Selecting Official) or Eligible (Application Not Referred to the Selecting Official); and
- Selected or Not Selected
By submitting your application, you are certifying the accuracy of the information contained in your application. If you make a false statement in any part of your application, you may not be hired; you may be terminated after beginning work; or, may be fined or jailed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation.
You will be required to submit official documentation prior to appointment. The agency will then verify the information provided on your application (i.e., degree, veterans' preference, disability, etc.).